Hi Team –

 

With the holiday season now underway, I am pleased to share that for the first time since 2019 and the onset of COVID, we are able to, once again, come together – team members, physicians, and volunteers across ALL of our hospitals, ambulatory sites, physician practices and business offices – to celebrate one of our very special traditions – sharing a festive holiday meal compliments of TriHealth. This is a fun way for us to express our deep gratitude to the best healthcare team anywhere for who you are and for all you do every day to bring our mission to life. Holiday meals will be available December 13-15 at each of our hospitals, as follows: 

Dates for team holiday meals at our ambulatory campuses, physician practices, and other offices will be communicated by local leaders in the coming days. Visit Bridge for more details about site-specific plans.

 

As shared last Friday, we are, once again, experiencing a rise in COVID transmission rates (now well above the CDC threshold for clinical masking for more than two weeks), in addition to a community-wide spike in flu and RSV cases. Following CDC guidance, we have taken steps to reinstitute mandatory mask wearing in clinical settings, effective December 5, 2022. During this time of increased viral transmission and risk, this is an important and effective measure to ensure we are doing everything possible to maintain the safest clinical environments for our patients, visitors, physicians, and team members. Click here to review the updated policy.

 

Since rolling back masking in October, we have been monitoring case rates and preparing for this possibility, as colder temps and increased holiday indoor gatherings typically trigger a spike in the spread of COVID, flu, RSV, and other viruses. Thankfully, due to vaccines, effective anti-viral medications, and herd immunity, we are encouraged that severe cases requiring hospitalization continue to be low and manageable, even as case rates are up (see COVID Weekly graphic to right for details). We are monitoring weekly COVID transmission rates and look to roll back clinical masking when rates return to safe levels below the 100/100,000 CDC threshold.

 

This morning, U.S. News and World Report released its 2022-2023 Best Hospitals for Maternity list and Bethesda North Hospital made the list, earning the top “High Performing” rating!! Bethesda North earned this recognition for performing significantly better than the industry on a combination of eight quality measures, with acceptable rates of C-sections, newborn complications, and episiotomies. 

 

Congratulations to ALL of our TriHealth physicians and team members supporting maternity care at Bethesda North for your incredible talents and hard work that resulted in this outstanding achievement!

 

Since embarking on our bold vision to Get Healthcare Right more than seven years ago, TriHealth has increasingly become a national leader and a model for healthcare delivery in so many ways, thanks to YOU, our amazing TriHealth Team!!

 

And we just celebrated yet another major clinical milestone affirming this point in action! Last week, our TriHealth Heart & Vascular Institute (THVI) performed its 200th Hybrid AFib Convergent procedure. Fewer than five other cardiac programs in the U.S. have performed as many of these life-saving procedures – earning TriHealth an elite spot among the top Hybrid Centers in the world to have done so!!

 

THVI’s cardiothoracic surgeons and electrophysiologists team up to perform the Hybrid Convergent procedure, which is proven to yield superior results in the treatment of persistent and long-standing atrial fibrillation.

 

Congratulations to our world-class cardiac care team on achieving this remarkable achievement – another amazing example of how we are bringing our Greater Cincinnati community the very BEST care available close to home!!

 

As a nation, we spend more than any other country in the world on healthcare, yet our U.S. healthcare system consistently ranks at or near the bottom when compared to other wealthy nations based on criteria including life expectancy, infant mortality, and access to care. Why? In part, because our nation’s healthcare system is built on a fee-for-service (FFS) payment/financing model that incentivizes and rewards volume of care over improved health. And as we’ve learned over the past decade – and especially throughout the COVID pandemic – this FFS payment model is neither financially sustainable nor appropriate for an industry that increasingly needs to take greater responsibility for both affordability of care and the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve!!

 

This is why seven years ago, TriHealth embraced a bold vision to Get Healthcare Right by setting out to build an integrated, coordinated and health and wellness-focused healthcare delivery system that can consistently deliver on the Triple Aim + One...better care, better health, and better value, PLUS an enhanced work and practice environment for team members and physicians.

 

In our latest Getting Health Care Right podcast with the Cincinnati Business Courier, I am joined by Jane Peterson, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio, to discuss and share insights on ways in which our two organizations are working together to measurably improve the health of our community, while delivering more affordable care.

 

Through this innovative partnership, we are transforming the way healthcare is delivered and financed to improve health and clinical outcomes through prevention, early detection, management of chronic diseases, and care coordination, as well as increasing affordable access to care. Tune in here to learn more about how we are making a real difference, the future of healthcare system/payer collaborations, and what’s ahead as TriHealth continues to lead the way with partners like Anthem in getting healthcare right. 

 

Next Steps for Engagement Pulse and Safety Survey 

In November, we conducted our fall Engagement Pulse and Safety Survey, one of several formal and informal ways (including rounding, huddles, hallway conversations, and use of Stoplight Reports) we seek out input from team members and physicians to identify meaningful opportunities for improvement throughout our organization. During our November survey, we achieved a nearly 65% participation rate and are now in the process of tabulating results, which we plan to share just after the holidays, so stay tuned….

 

At the heart of our work to Get Healthcare Right lies our greatest asset – our people, ONE Team, TriHealth STRONG! Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our patients, our community, and our quest to be the very best we can for all those we serve, always!